Show I AT T TIlE THE FIRE PLACE When the evening grew chili chilly they laid aid a log log- logon on the accumulation of ot paper and n kindling that had been hidden hidden hid hid- den In the old fashioned place fire pulled lulled away the screen of ot asparagus bush jush with Its red berries touched a match to tho the combustibles and sat down to look at tho the flames roaring unaccustomed up tho the blackened throat of or the chimney the chimney the throat oat that was wa vcr very thirsty with the need of a a. draught of oC rollicking flame Clame And then a a. silence fell upon all the little group It IL was as the first fire of oC the fall tall Mother sat on one side dt of the fireplace fireplace fireplace fire fire- place a little back from the blaze for forthe forthe forthe the weather was not particularly cool and arid Father 2 sat asat t on the opposite side anti and Jostled by degrees lower and lower lower low low- er em down own In the ens easy chair propped his elbows on the arms gripped his knuckles together tog and composed his chin on them while he screwed up his eyes ees In their nest of oC wrinkles and looked back through the draught of oC rollicking rollicking rol- rol licking hiame past the thirsty blackened blackened blackened black black- ened throat of the chimney to the years ears when the first fireplace was built Inthe Inthe in inthe the old house and when he knelt knell on the puncheon floor and blew at the struggling blaze it leaped up for Cor the warming of his hiM troubled wife wire And the Big DIg Girl went gently about the tho room tidying things The Tho Mother lother rocked a little In her chair and remembered that there was no stove In that first house and she had to do all her cooking at the fireplace fireplace fire lre- place flace with a long legged skillet and an Iron pot for Cor her vessels and a crane that swung out over o the brick hearth and In over the tumbling flames tames She remembered that there was but one bed in the house houle and It had a log- log cabin quilt with a straw tick filled from Crom the stack of ot a n. farmer and antI a n pair palm of or woollen blankets and a thin feather teather bed beI to pull over the sleepers on ver very cold She looked hooked Into the first fire of ot the autumn and re recalled recalled re- re called caned that there were but two rooms in the house houe and that the other was not furnished for It was to be the spare room And then she rem remembered m- m the long night when the bab baby came the came the Big DIg Girl now That was a night of oC lark dark trial in In- In deed dee for the Mother was fa far l' l from home and Father had to go three miles for a a. good old neighbor woman und and ten miles for tor a a. doctor But one day ay after a Cl week the they lifted her out of the bed and antI carried her to a rockIng rock rock- Ing lug chair made mado of bent hickory wood and antI she ho s sat t there with her hair braided and uncoiled And she held in her lap the dimpling uncertain little bit of oC a girl the girl Big Girl now that is moving moving- about the comfortable room and setting things in a sort of oC autumn of order And Father there on the tho farther side of oC the fireplace pushes back a n. little far th the tho heat hea Is growing ps as the log log- settles to its blaze props hits his chin chinon on his knuckles again and looks through the bus busy flames lames to the memory memory mem mem- or ory of oC trees that used to surround the J house so thickly thickly the the oak trees and the tho maple and the beech with their gracefully I iy d drooping roop i ng branches branch es I He Ic looks through the darkening darkening- smoke at atthe atthe atthe the growing light of or the clearing as the tho ranks of or the forest receded farther and farther tarther lIe He looks through tho the tears that gather in his eyes hid eyes hid there in their nest of or wrinkles at the low Jow green mound out at the edge of ot the tho hill hili where here the other hi-other of ot the Big BIs Girl Is sleeping sleeping the the Brother who used to follow Callow Father In the tho furrow furro and attend him in all his work The UThe tIn day is past and anti gone gone- Sings Mother In a weak uncertain voice as she sho rocks gently in her easy chair chair chair- The rhe day a la is past and gone The evening shades hatles appear O. O ma may we all ull r remember member well The night of oC death draws near Father almost started tp Join In with his bass but his throat had felt the thc touch of ot the Brothers Brother's hands as he ho cuddled the little f fellow at night and anti the sounds would not not obey him as they should He lie felt at the verge of or a n. sob and closed his lips again The Big BIg- Girl had hummed a note or two with her mother at the tho cn end of ot the quatrain anti and now after afler a moment she sho began sweet and low low o My 1 hearts heart's In the Highlands My ly h heart art ort Is Ig not here herc My Iy hearts heart's In the Highlands And Anti then the tread of or a booted boote foot toot on the flagstones at the door silence neo her song and rouse tho the flush lush of a arising arising arising I rising life and she turns her back on the first fire Cire of oC autumn to receive in loving hope and hopeful love hove the strength and the mystery of or her mate Age and memory Youth and love And between them and before beCore them forever spirit or the Iho presence of ot the theol theold ol old fireplace |